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Wacky wellies for Witney festival
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| Witney Music Festival organisers, from left, Bonny Cleasby, Joe Slouch, Stuart Foster and Danny Gould attempt to recreate The Beatles' Abbey Road album cover in Woodstock Road, Witney |
IT may not be as big as Glastonbury, but Witney's eight-day music festival promises to be just as colourful.
That's because music fans are being encouraged to wear wacky wellies when they turn up to enjoy a feast of folk, jazz, ska and indie music.
Now in its second year, the Witney Music Festival promises to be bigger and better than last year's event and, with more than 25 artists spread across eight venues, organisers believe it offers something for all ages and musical tastes.
Among the acts booked for the event, which starts tomorrow, are highly-rated Oxford folk artist Bethany Weimer, low down gutbucket jazz band Rabbit Foot Spasm and songwriter Samuel Zasada, who will officially launch his second album at the Rapture music store in the Woolgate Centre, Witney, next Thursday.
Organised by music lover Stuart Foster and his friend Derek West, the festival aims to raise £1,000 for Oxford hospice Sobell House. It raised £650 for the charity last year.
The festival has again been dedicated to the memory of Mr Foster's late sister Jo-Marie, a music fan who died in her sleep, aged 21, in November 2005.
Mr Foster, of Apley Way, said: "It went really well last year but we were being as business-like as possible so people would take us seriously, so this year we thought we'd have a bit more fun."
"If you go to any festival outside, you wear wellies, so we thought asking people to wear wacky wellies is in keeping with that and would provide a bit of fun.
"It isn't essential that you wear them but we thought it would be lovely to see festival-goers in them."
The 26-year-old added: "We've added an extra day of music so it's definitely bigger and better than last year. We haven't really gone for a single music genre on purpose, so there really is something for everyone.
"Last year was extremely busy and almost everywhere got packed out but this year some of the artists are completely new to me so I'm excited to see them too.
"It's great for local artists to get heard and get noticed and it's great for people to be able to hear some new music and go to a venue they might not normally go to."
The organisers are filming the performances in the hope of producing a DVD of the festival later in the year and are particularly happy to return to the Plough, in High Street, as the pub was badly affected in last year's floods.
Although the performances are free, gig-goers are being asked to make a £3 donation. The money will support Sobell House and help cover the costs of the festival, which this year did not get any funding from the Witney Town Hall Charity.
6:00am Saturday 22nd March 2008
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CommentPosted by: witter, Witney on 3:08pm Sat 22 Mar 08
The main aim of a journalistic piece like this seems to be missing..... When is the festival? I'm sure they'd get more people if you actually said when it is.
The main aim of a journalistic piece like this seems to be missing..... When is the festival? I'm sure they'd get more people if you actually said when it is.
Posted by: simon, out there.... on 6:43pm Sat 22 Mar 08
I think WHERE the 'festival' is to be held is a subtle clue in the headline of the piece. Places appropriate for it to be held in Witney? Waitrose car-park; Church Green;somewhere with a bit of space requiring wellies. Narrows it down a bit! Journalists have a lot to do in filling the Gazette each week; if they actually got into 'specifics' we would be waiting another 2 weeks to get the paper!
I think WHERE the 'festival' is to be held is a subtle clue in the headline of the piece. Places appropriate for it to be held in Witney? Waitrose car-park; Church Green;somewhere with a bit of space requiring wellies. Narrows it down a bit! Journalists have a lot to do in filling the Gazette each week; if they actually got into 'specifics' we would be waiting another 2 weeks to get the paper!
Posted by: Ant, witney on 11:23pm Sat 22 Mar 08
Hi
In answer to your questions, the witney music festival is a week long thing happening in the evenings at various pubs and clubs, The palace and Izis
its at the hollybush on sunday night from 9pm, monday, hollybush from 8pm, the plough on wednesday at 9, at half 5 on Thursday evening, a musician called Samuel zesada will perform live at rapture, then will play at Izi,s in the evening from 9. and on Friday, it will be at the Palace Nightclub from 8, mellers art gallery saturday evening from 7 and then hollybush at 8, sunday, there will be live music at the hollybush in that afternoon
I think theres details and flyers in stores like music stand,
Hope that many can turn up
Hi
In answer to your questions, the witney music festival is a week long thing happening in the evenings at various pubs and clubs, The palace and Izis
its at the hollybush on sunday night from 9pm, monday, hollybush from 8pm, the plough on wednesday at 9, at half 5 on Thursday evening, a musician called Samuel zesada will perform live at rapture, then will play at Izi,s in the evening from 9. and on Friday, it will be at the Palace Nightclub from 8, mellers art gallery saturday evening from 7 and then hollybush at 8, sunday, there will be live music at the hollybush in that afternoon
I think theres details and flyers in stores like music stand,
Hope that many can turn up
Posted by: Kathy on 8:38am Sun 23 Mar 08
Is there anything geared towards the under 18s? Most of the venues suggest not and there are always calls for activities for their age range. It would be great to know there was a suitable event that they could turn up to on their doorstep. Might help them think that Witney is a lively place to live.
Is there anything geared towards the under 18s? Most of the venues suggest not and there are always calls for activities for their age range. It would be great to know there was a suitable event that they could turn up to on their doorstep. Might help them think that Witney is a lively place to live.
Posted by: Ant, witney on 1:59pm Mon 24 Mar 08
Tuesday and wednesday night,instead of the plough as a venue, It would be at the house of windsor in west end on tuesday night from 8 and then the hollybush on wednesday.
Kathy, answering your question, Samuel Zesada a local musician will be playing at rapture from half 5, so teens can go to that.
There is an event at the youth centre for teens called platform where local bands perform
Tuesday and wednesday night,instead of the plough as a venue, It would be at the house of windsor in west end on tuesday night from 8 and then the hollybush on wednesday.
Kathy, answering your question, Samuel Zesada a local musician will be playing at rapture from half 5, so teens can go to that.
There is an event at the youth centre for teens called platform where local bands perform
Posted by: Emily MacGregor, Witney on 12:40pm Tue 25 Mar 08
The Rabbit Foot Spasm Band playing in Witney? Yay! Coolest band ever i like this festival!
The Rabbit Foot Spasm Band playing in Witney? Yay! Coolest band ever i like this festival!
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